Eating processed meat is associated with an increased risk of developing colon cancer in people who have the gene variant rs4143094, researchers report April 17 in PLOS Genetics. One in three people have this altered gene, which is found on the same region of chromosome 10 as GATA3, a gene that has been linked to other forms of cancer.

About 30 other gene variants have been linked to colon cancer, but the way certain foods affect gene activity isn’t clear yet, the scientists say.